Her Guiding Light
by EOLuvFrv
Summary: Will anyone be able to reach her when the unthinkable happens?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are property of Dick Wolf. I don't own them!**

**WARNING: This fic will deal with a senstitive topic!**

**Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! **

Detective Olivia Stabler sat at her desk in the 1-6 precinct, thankful that she had finally finished the mountain of paperwork that had cluttered her desk earlier in the day. She yawned as she leaned back in her chair, she rubbed her face tiredly with both hands and suppressed another yawn.

"Want me to take you home, kiddo?" Captain Don Cragen asked as he came out of his office, turning off the light and closing the door.

"Thanks, Cap. But no, I'm just gonna wait on El."

"He and Fin should be back soon. When Fin called earlier, he said they were almost done interviewing the victim."

Olivia nodded as she rubbed her swollen abdomen. "Desk duty sucks," she smiled good naturedly.

"I know," Cragen agreed. "Once that sweet little girl is safely born you can go back to working in the field."

"Two more months," she grinned. "I don't know who is more over-protective… El or you!"

"Hey," he protested with a smile. "I gotta look out for my honorary granddaughter… especially when her mother doesn't think twice about running into a dangerous situation to protect a victim."

Olivia sobered quickly and bit her bottom lip, "Cap… in case I haven't told you, I really do appreciate all you and the others are doing to look out for me and my baby."

"I know you do, Liv," he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I didn't mean to imply that you don't or that you're irresponsible. You're exactly the opposite and that's my point. You think of others before yourself, that's what makes you a good detective."

She reached up and laid her hand on top of his that was still resting on her shoulder. "Everyone's been so good to me, watching out for me more than normal. It's been years, I know, but I'm still glad I transferred to SVU. I was alone when I joined but you guys quickly took me in and became my family."

"That's just what we do," Cragen turned his hand over and gave hers a gentle squeeze. "See you tomorrow."

She nodded and he walked out, meeting Fin and Elliot as they entered the squad room.

"Take your wife home, she's exhausted," Cragen tossed over his shoulder as he walked toward the elevator.

Elliot made his way to Olivia, he tilted her face up to him as he leaned over and kissed her gently. "Why are you still here, Sweetheart?" he asked when he broke the kiss. "You should be at home, resting."

"Cap offered to take me home, but I wanted to wait on you. Besides, all I've been doing is resting," she smiled up at him. "I've barely been out of this chair since you left, just doing paperwork."

"You look so tired," his voice was sympathetic.

"It's your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yeah, you knocked me up," she laughed.

A grin spread across Elliot's face as he and Fin both laughed.

"That's right, Baby-Girl. It's entirely his fault," Fin agreed, smiling at the woman he saw as a younger sister. He admired her, she brought out a soft side of him that no one else could. He loved the fact that even though she had been through so much, she still cared, she was still an advocate for the victims. He sighed silently as he thought about her past; an alcoholic and emotionally absent mother, never knowing her father, knowing that she was the product of a rape. And he suspected that her mother was emotionally or physically abusive, or maybe both. He also knew how close she and Elliot were; there were things about her, about her past and how she operates that only Elliot knew. And that's how it should be, he thought to himself. After all, she and Elliot had been partners and best friends for close to a decade before they finally admitted their feelings for each other and allowed themselves to fall in love. Fin was happy for her, she deserved every happiness; Elliot and their unborn daughter definitely made her happy. Olivia's voice shook Fin from his thoughts and brought him back to present time.

She nodded, "I'm seven months pregnant, I deserve to look tired."

"Growing a baby is hard work," Elliot said as he gently rubbed his wife's stomach.

As if on cue, Olivia's stomach growled, causing Elliot and Fin to laugh again. She bit her bottom lip and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," she blushed slightly as she laughed with the guys.

"Hungry?" Fin asked with a grin.

"Starving," she admitted then looked up at her husband as he continued to rub her stomach, "Your daughter's hungry."

"Well, we can't have that," he placed one hand under her elbow, helping her to her feet while grabbing her jacket with his other hand.

"Night Fin," she smiled. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya," Fin replied as he turned and walked to his desk.

"Go home, man. There's nothing more we can do with the case tonight," Elliot said with a nod in Fin's direction. "We'll finish up tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," he replied as he straightened up his desk. He glanced over at the desk across from his, "Where's Munch?"

"He left several hours ago," Olivia answered. "Said he was gonna call it an early night since he and Lake are catching tonight."

Elliot slipped her light windbreaker up onto her shoulders. "It's a little chilly out," he said as his protective instincts kicked in. He went through four pregnancies with his ex-wife but this was his first with Olivia. With each pregnancy he because a little more protective but with this one, his protective instincts were in overdrive.

"How chilly?" she asked with a smile, knowing how overprotective he could be.

"Not bad, a nice Spring night."

She nodded and zipped her jacket up halfway. "You walking out with us?" she asked, leaning into her husband tiredly as they moved toward the exit.

"Yeah, here I come," Fin answered as he quickly shut his computer down and followed them out.

"What do you want for dinner?" Elliot asked, pushing the call button for the elevator. He watched as his tired wife rubbed her eyes and wished he could do more for her. He dropped a kiss on top of her head and rubbed her back, trying to relieve some of the pressure he knew she was feeling.

"I dunno," she replied as her stomach growled again.

"No cravings tonight?"

"I think I'm too tired to crave anything."

"Yeah," he rubbed the small of her back. "You didn't sleep very well last night, did you?"

She laid her hand on her stomach as they stepped into the elevator, "Little Bit kept me awake most of the night." The doors closed and the elevator began it's slow descent. She looked over at Fin, "Come eat dinner with us?" she asked with a tired smile.

Fin frowned in concern, "Are you sure you feel up to that?" He knew that Olivia often pushed herself past her breaking point because of her huge, caring heart. Always giving, always caring.

"Yeah," she yawned. "We can get take-out and go to our house. That way if I fall asleep early, you guys can watch football or basketball," she frowned in confusion. "Or whatever sport is on this time of year."

"Baseball," they responded in unison, both chuckling lightly.

"Yeah, baseball. That's what I meant," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You really do need some rest if you don't know what sport season it is," Fin grinned as the elevator came to a stop with a slight jerk.

"You knew what I meant," she shot a playful glare at her friend.

The elevator doors opened with a ding and the trio stepped out. Together they walked out into the late evening sunset.

"You guys go on home, I'll pick something up and meet you there."

"You sure you don't mind?" Elliot asked.

"Not at all," Fin answered. "What sounds good? Chinese? Pizza?"

"Tacos!" Olivia exclaimed as she was hit by a sudden craving.

"Alright, Mexican it is," Fin chuckled. "I'll see you guys at your place."

The trio split up, Fin going one way to hail a cab, Elliot and Olivia going the other way to their car.

Elliot laughed lightly as they walked down the sidewalk toward the parking lot. "Guess you have a craving, after all."

"I didn't until just a minute ago," Olivia replied with a laugh of her own. She leaned closer to him and her lips met his in a quick kiss. "Love you," she whispered.

"Love you, too," he smiled in response.

She leaned against the front of the car, waiting as he moved to unlock and open the passenger door for her.

Fin rounded the corner of the building and walked a few steps down the sidewalk but before he could signal for a cab, several shots rang out. His hand immediately went to his side, he drew his weapon as he turned and started back the way he came. His fast pace warped into a full fledged run when he heard the terrified yell of his brother-in-blue. His heart hammered in his chest as Elliot's scream carried through the sudden stillness and assaulted his ears.

"_**LIV! NO!"**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are property of Dick Wolf. I don't own them!**

**Author's Note: Thanks to my awesome beta readers, you guys are the best! Sorry it took me so long to update, I try to update quickly, it just usually doesn't work for me! **

**Please leave me a review! I love to hear what you think!**

Fin ran back around the corner, his gun drawn and held out in front of him. His eyes darted everywhere, trying to spot the origin of the shots. Catching a glimpse of Elliot on the ground, kneeling over Olivia, Fin's heart began racing even faster than it already was.

"Fin!" Elliot yelled. "Call a bus!"

"Where's the perp?" he asked, his eyes still searching for the shooter.

"Gone! Call a bus!" Elliot shouted as he applied pressure to one of Olivia's gun shot wounds, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.

Fin holstered his gun and jerked his cell phone out of his pocket. He quickly made the call then rushed over to help Elliot. He dropped to his knees and let his eyes skim over Olivia's body as Elliot gently rolled her onto her side. Fin gasped when he saw the wounds on her back. "How many times was she hit?" he asked as he applied pressure to one of the wounds.

"I don't know," Elliot's voice trembled. "One hit her in the side of her stomach, that's all I see in front."

Olivia gasped for air, her eyes wide with pain and fear as she followed his every move. Her mind raced with thoughts and fears that she couldn't vocalize, no matter how hard she tried. The color drained from her face as she quickly lost blood and struggled to draw breath.

"Three back here," Fin replied as he moved one hand from the wound he was covering and used it to cover one of the other two wounds.

"Th… The b… ba… baby…" Olivia managed to stutter as she fought to breathe.

"I know, Love," Elliot's voice shook as he tried to calm his wife's fears. "Just hang on for me."

She winced and her face twisted in pain as he applied pressure to her stomach wound.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," tears pooled in his eyes as he tried to slow her blood loss. He looked up at Fin. "Where's that bus?"

"I called, they'll be here soon," he answered as he worked to slow her blood loss as well. "Did you get a look at the shooter?"

"Not a good one," Elliot answered, not taking his eyes off of his wife. "But there were two shooters."

Olivia slowly reached up with a trembling hand, gripping Elliot's shirt sleeve as pain ripped through her body and she continued to gasp for breath.

"I think her lung collapsed…" Fin muttered, almost under his breath.

Elliot increased the pressure on her stomach wound, causing Olivia to wince again.

She let go of his shirt and moved her hand to her stomach, trying to push her husband's hands away.

"No, Baby," he spoke as reassuringly as he could, refusing to be moved. "I know it hurts but I have to keep the pressure on it."

Time seemed to drag by and minutes felt like hours as they waited for the ambulance. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard the approaching sirens.

"Listen, hear that, Love?" Elliot forced himself to sound positive, even as fear griped his heart. "Hear the sirens? Help's coming, they're almost here."

Olivia slowly raised her gaze to look at him. Her face was pale and her eyes drifted shut as she struggled for each breath.

"Stay awake, Sweetheart. Stay awake for me," he encouraged, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Sa… Save our b… baby," she stuttered, her voice weak as she tried to breathe. Tears rolled down her face and she winced as her entire body throbbed in pain.

"Stay with me, Angel," Elliot begged as the sirens came closer. "Help's almost here."

Fin increased the pressure on her back wounds, causing her to moan in pain. "I'm sorry, Baby-Girl," he looked up and sighed in relief when he saw the emergency lights of the approaching ambulance. "I see the bus."

"Thank God," Elliot muttered quietly.

Olivia reached up and gripped Elliot's shirt again as it became increasingly harder for her to breathe. Her hands, now covered in blood from where she tried to push Elliot's hands away, trembled as she held as tight as she could manage to her husband.

"They're here, baby," Elliot spoke as soothingly as he could. "Help is here."

"Hurry!" Fin called anxiously to the paramedics as they got out of the ambulance.

"Our b… baby," Olivia gasped, looking up at Elliot; her breathing becoming more labored and more shallow. "Sh… She hasn't m… moved s… since…"

"Shhh, Love," he urged, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Breathe, just concentrate on breathing." He tore his gaze away from his wife as the paramedics rushed over. "She's seven months pregnant and she said the baby hasn't moved since she was shot," he nervously passed on the information that Olivia had been trying to tell him.

"Ok, sir. You're gonna have to move aside so I can help her," one of the paramedics spoke sweet but urgently.

Elliot moved over, but only a short distance. He stayed close and made sure to stay within Olivia's line of vision, reassuring her with his presence.

Fin looked up as a second paramedic ran over. "I think her lung collapsed, she's having a really hard time breathing," he explained as he moved out of the way.

The paramedic nodded and quickly moved in to help.

Fin walked over to the ambulance, looking for something to clean his hands. He located a supply of clean cloths; taking one, he wiped his hands, effectively cleaning most of Olivia's blood from his hands. He shivered slightly. He was used to having blood on his hands from victims but it was sobering to know that the blood belonged to his friend, the one he loved as a little sister. He grabbed another cloth and walked over to where Elliot stood. He clapped a gentle hand on Elliot's shoulder. "Come on, man. Let's give them room to work."

Elliot shook his head, knowing Olivia would remain calmer as long as he was within her sight. "I'm staying out of the way," he answered without looking away from her. "But I have to stay where she can see me." She was so pale, his heart was pounding harder and faster than he could ever remember it doing before. He tried to give her a reassuring smile as she fought to breathe and to keep her eyes open. "And where I can see her," he added quietly, needing to keep visual contact for himself as well, to reassure himself too.

"Alright," Fin agreed as he handed him the second clean cloth.

Elliot absentmindedly took the cloth, then looked at his hands as if he was just noticing for the first time that they were covered in his wife's blood. He swallowed hard, his stomach churned, realizing just how much blood Olivia had lost and just how desperate this situation could quickly become. He wiped them on the cloth as he spoke quietly to Fin. "Liv said the baby hasn't moved…"

"Maybe she's just stunned or something," Fin replied, trying to stay positive.

Elliot nodded but didn't say anything. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the sensation of his heart pounding in his throat. He bit his bottom lip and cleared his throat. He shook his head and pressed his finger tips into his closed eyelids, trying to keep his tears at bay. He was used to this, he was a detective for goodness sakes; he had witnessed countless shootings, he shouldn't be this affected by the scene unfolding in front of him. He shook his head again with a self-deprecating laugh, knowing he was stupid for trying to explain away his extreme fear, this was his wife and daughter. He would be heartless if he wasn't more connected and fearful; this was not just a random victim, it was his family.

The paramedics finished doing what they could for Olivia on the scene and loaded her onto a gurney.

Elliot and Fin rushed after the paramedics and Elliot quickly jumped in after Olivia's gurney was loaded into the back of the ambulance.

"I'll call Cragen and Munch and then meet you at the hospital!" Fin called from outside the ambulance. He slammed then beat on the back doors of the ambulance. _**"GO!"**_ he yelled at the top of his voice.

The ambulance roared to life and pulled out, speeding down the street, toward the hospital. Fin pulled out his cell phone as he watched the ambulance, carrying his friends, fade from sight. He turned and hurried back the other way to hail a cab, dialing Cragen's number as he ran.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All recognizable character belong to Dick Wolf! I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them for awhile. I promise to return them! :~)**

**_A/N: The first section of this chapter was written for me by my friend RTSam. I suck at writing medical stuff but she's a Radiological Technologist and an EMT who works in trauma… so she knows the routine! Thanks Sam, you're awesome! Also, many thanks to my amazing beta readers who keep me in line!_**

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

Elliot sat in the back of the ambulance with his unconscious wife. He leaned back along the wall of the ambulance, holding tight to her hand as the EMT worked on putting in two IV lines in her arm. The paramedics were hesitant about letting him ride with them but he promised to stay out of the way.

"Elliot?" Olivia groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, she called out, so weak it was almost a whisper. "El?"

Elliot sat forward so that he was in Olivia's direct line of sight. "I'm here, baby. Everything's gonna be okay."

"What happened?"

"Baby, you were shot when we came out of the station. Do you remember?" Elliot watched as his wife's face became ashen and her eye-lids become heavy. "Liv?" he called her name, his voice panicked. "Liv?" He turned to the EMT, his eyes wide and scared. "What the hell did you do? What's happening to her?"

The EMT stood and grabbed a few packages off a top shelf. He banged twice on the window and yelled for the driver to speed up. "Sir, please sit back," he instructed Elliot.

Elliot sat back but kept a tight hold on Olivia's loose hand. "Please, don't let her die," he whispered, wiping at his falling tears. He dropped his head into his other hand and started silently praying for his wife and baby.

The EMT pulled out his radio and held it to his ear with his shoulder as he pushed drugs through Olivia's IV. "TCC, this is Rescue 1. Patch me through to Mercy ED asap."

Elliot looked up as he heard a voice filter through the truck.

"Mercy, go."

"Mercy this is Rescue 1. I'm en-route with a 36 year old, caucasian female, 35 weeks pregnant. She has GSWs times 4. Three to thoracic area and one to the abdomen. I see three exits wounds. BP was 100/70 upon arrival and has now dropped to 84/65 and continuing to drop. Heart rate was 102 upon arrival and is now at 70 and also continuing to drop. I've got 4 liters running wide and have given a steroid shot. We have a portable fetal monitor on board and I'm seeing no FHTs. She was hooked up to it roughly 2 minutes ago. ETA is 3 minutes. Copy, Mercy?"

"Copy, Rescue 1. Trauma team will meet you on the ramp. Mercy, out."

Fifteen minutes later, Cragen rushed into the ER and looked around anxiously. Spotting Fin, he rushed over to the detective. "What happened?" the panic obvious both on his face and in his voice.

"I don't really know," Fin shook his head. "It all happened so fast."

The ER doors opened, Casey and Lake ran in hand-in-hand, just in time to catch the last few words Fin said.

"Is Liv ok? What about the baby?" Casey asked anxiously.

"Who shot her?" Lake asked, anger contorting his face.

Fin shrugged helplessly. "She lost a lot of blood and was struggling to breathe. I'm pretty sure one of her lungs collapsed. The baby…" he swallowed hard to keep from crying as he answered Casey's questions. "Liv said the baby hadn't moved since she got shot." He turned his gaze to Lake. "I don't know who shot her. I was around the corner on the other side of the building when I heard the shots. Elliot said he didn't get a good look at them but there were two shooters."

Casey bit her bottom lip as tears rolled down her cheeks. "They have to be ok."

Lake wrapped his arm around Casey's shoulders and pulled his fiancée into his embrace. He kissed the side of her head in a gesture of comfort.

"What happened?" Cragen asked again, concern for his detective and her baby… correction, for his "daughter and granddaughter" filled his voice. "Tell me everything you can."

Fin turned back to the Captain. "We left a few minutes after you did. Liv asked me to come eat dinner with them. She was really tired, so she suggested we get take-out and go back to their house. I told them to go on home, I would pick something up and meet them there."

The ER doors opened again and Munch rushed in. He hurried over to the group, shock written all over his face.

"They went left to the parking lot to their car. I went right and around the corner to catch a cab," Fin continued. "It wasn't even a minute before I heard the shots. I grabbed my gun and ran back around the building but both of the shooters were already gone. All I saw was Liv on the ground and El knelt down beside her."

"How many times was she hit?" Munch asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Four," Fin sighed. "Once in the side of her stomach and three times in the back."

"Her stomach…" Casey's voice trailed off shakily.

Fin nodded once. "That's why Liv was so worried when the baby quit moving."

Munch sighed and rubbed his face with both hands as he fought to keep his emotions in order.

"I've seen a ton of shooting victims… even helped a lot of them as best as I could until paramedics arrived on scene," Fin spoke quietly. "But I've never felt as helpless as I did tonight… seeing Baby Girl laying there, bleeding and in severe pain, struggling to even breathe and worrying so much about her baby…" he stopped talking and shook his head as tears crept into his voice.

"How's El?" Lake asked, concern for his friend's welfare evident in his face and voice.

"Scared out of his mind, but he was doing a good job holding it together, hiding his fear from Liv and trying to keep her calm and awake."

Cragen nodded, proud of his detective. "Classic Elliot. Always putting Liv first."

The double doors, separating the treatment area of the ER from the waiting room, swung open, causing everyone in the small group to turn and look.

Elliot slowly came through the doors, his head hung down, watching his feet as he walked.

"El…" Casey called, causing him to look up. She hurried over to meet him, grabbing his arm when she reached him. "How's Liv? And the baby?" she asked anxiously.

He didn't answer until he reached the group, their "family". "I… I don't know much. They shoved me in a consult room as soon as we got here. They just took her into surgery."

"And the baby?" Fin asked, remembering Olivia's fear when she didn't feel the baby moving.

"They haven't said for sure." Elliot's voice wavered, then cracked. He swallowed hard as tears pooled in his eyes then whispered, "But it doesn't look good… for either one of them. Liv lost a lot of blood." He bit his bottom lip as anger bubbled up inside him along with fear and grief. "That's all I know cause they wouldn't let me go with her. I didn't get to see her before they took her to the operating room. I didn't even get to tell her that I love her and will be waiting for her."

"Olivia's strong," Cragen disputed.

"She'll fight this," Munch agreed.

"Come on," Lake spoke quietly as he noticed the blood that was splattered all over the front of Elliot's shirt and pants. "Let's go get you some clothes."

Elliot shook his head. "I'm not leaving while my wife is in surgery."

"You don't have to," Lake assured him. "Casey and I stopped by your house on the way here."

Elliot frowned in confusion.

"Remember the spare key that Liv gave me to keep for her a few years ago after she locked herself out of the house while you were out of town?" Casey asked with a small smile.

Elliot nodded at the memory.

"I used that to go in and grab some clean clothes for you and a few things for Olivia," Casey replied.

"Thanks," Elliot's voice trembled as he fought to hold back tears.

"I'll go grab your bag from our car," Lake turned as he spoke. "I'll be right back."

"Hey," Munch called out to Lake. "Would you stop by my car, too? There's a change of clothes in there for Fin."

"Yep," Lake responded as he caught the keys that Munch tossed to him and walked out of the building.

Fin frowned in confusion.

"I was at the precinct when you called. I got them from your locker," Munch answered his friend's silent question.

"How'd you get into my locker?" Fin asked, still confused.

"I know your combination."

"How?"

"I'm your partner. I have my ways," the older detective replied as he looked over the top of his glasses.

It only took a few minutes for Lake to retrieve the things from both cars and return to the waiting room. He handed the bag to Elliot and the clean clothes to Fin.

"Go change," Captain Cragen spoke softly to both men.

Elliot shook his head, "I can't leave… not while Liv is in surgery."

"I didn't say you had to leave," Cragen said, pointing across the waiting room. "The men's room is right over there."

Elliot hesitated as he looked toward the men's room then back to the doors leading to the treatment area. "A nurse said she'll take us to the OR waiting room… we should go…"

Cragen stepped closer to Elliot and spoke quietly but firmly. "We'll go as soon as you get cleaned up. If I have to make it an official order as your Captain, I will."

He glanced back at the doors again then together he and Fin walked across the waiting room and into the men's room as concerns and fears flooded both of their minds; both wishing they could do more than just wait and pray.

"This is not gonna end well," Lake said as he pulled Casey back into his arms.

She leaned into her fiancée's embrace. "Not at all."

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

Three hours later, the operating room doors swung open as the team of doctors and nurses walked out.

The attending trauma surgeon stopped and leaned back against the wall. He pulled his surgical cap off and balled it in his fist as he dropped his head in defeat.

The assisting surgeon along with the two neonatal doctors and the OB/GYN from the surgical team approached and stopped in front of him.

After a few moments of silence, the assisting surgeon spoke quietly. "You did everything you could… we all did."

"Yeah," the attending surgeon sighed, upset at no one but himself. "But it wasn't good enough."

"There was nothing more any of us could have done," the OB/GYN said as she pulled off her surgical cap as well.

"This is what I hate the most about this job… telling the family that someone they love is dead," the attending turned and dropped his surgical cap into a nearby laundry bin.

One of the neonatal doctors looked down at his feet as he asked the question that was on the minds of all the doctors. "So, who has to go tell them?"

The attending surgeon leaned over the laundry bin and hung his head. "Me," he sighed as he slowly raised up. "It should be me since I've been with her since she was brought in." He ran both hands down his face then slowly walked down the hall.

"I'll go with you," the OB/GYN paused only a few seconds before following him.

The attending surgeon waited for the other doctor to catch up and together, they walked the rest of the way down the hall and through the doors. They took a couple of steps into the waiting room and stopped, shocked at the number of cops filling the room. They glanced at each other, then the attending doctor cleared his throat. "Who's here for Detective Olivia Stabler?"

The soft murmur that filled the room immediately ceased and all eyes turned to the doctors.

"We all are…" one of the cops spoke up.

"I'm looking for her family," the doctor clarified.

Elliot, Cragen, Fin, Munch, Lake and Casey all stood, their nervousness clearly written across all their faces.

"Okay…" the attending looked over at the OB/GYN, his eyes widen slightly, surprised at the number of people who considered Olivia as their family. He turned back to the SVU group and further clarified. "I'm sorry, immediate family only at this time."

"I'm Elliot Stabler, Olivia's husband," Elliot said, stepping forward.

"I'm Dr. Jacobs, the attending trauma surgeon on your wife's case. I've been with her since the ambulance brought her in tonight." He nodded toward the other doctor. "And this is Dr. McKinley, she's the OB/GYN on her case."

Elliot nervously shook hands with both doctors as his heart raced. Fear rose from his innermost being, up through his chest and into his throat. Jumbled thoughts spun out of control in his mind and he fought to keep his hands from trembling.

"Let's step over here and speak in private," Dr. Jacobs motioned toward the far corner of the waiting room.

"Um…" Elliot glanced back at the others then turned back to the doctors. "I'd like Captain Cragen to come too. He's the closest Olivia's ever had to a father. We consider him to be immediate family."

Cragen's heart swelled with pride at Elliot's words but broke at the same time. He always tried not to play favorites among the detectives… at least among the men. But from the time she came into the unit, Olivia had always been special to him, he had always thought of her as a daughter. And by extension, Elliot had become like a son to him as well. Truth be told, over the years all of his detectives had come to mean the world to him, he loved them as if they were really his children and he would do anything he could to help any of them. He just couldn't let that show in their line of work, it could easily be used against him.

Dr. Jacobs nodded then he and Dr. McKinley led them across the room.

The four stood together, huddled in the far corner, talking quietly.

No matter how hard the rest of the SVU group strained to hear, they couldn't make out what was being said. They watched, helplessly, as the color drained from Elliot's face and tears pooled in Cragen's eyes. The group turned to look at each other, knowing the news was bad. Then disregarding the doctors' request for immediate family only, they all rushed over as Elliot's broken hearted cry sounded across the waiting room.

"No!" tears poured down his face and he crumpled into Cragen who caught him and slowly lowered him into a chair. "No, no, no, no!" he sobbed. "She can't… She can't be gone!"

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><p><strong><em>AN 2: Uh oh! Who's gone? How does the fallout affect our favorite "family" of detectives? The answers coming up next! Please be the lovely readers I know you are and leave me some reviews!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or any recognizable characters, they belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Thanks to my awesome betas! You ladies truly are the best!**_

_**And another huge thanks to those who have reviewed this story! I've said it before, but I can NOT stress enough how motivating reviews truly are!**_

_**So sorry that it's taken me so long to update. Hopefully I'll have more time to write now that the holidays are over. Hope you enjoy the newest chapter! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**_

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><p><span>Chapter Four<span>

The SVU family immediately surrounded Elliot and Cragen. Questioning glances passed through the group as they waited, anxiously, to hear what had happened.

Casey sat down in the chair next to Elliot and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

Elliot dropped his head into his hands and covered his face, unable to stop the sobs that racked his body.

"Cap?" Fin asked quietly but fearfully as he saw the tears roll down the cheeks of his superior officer.

All eyes turned to Cragen. A tangible fear ran through the entire group, no one used to seeing their captain in tears.

"The baby…" Cragen's voice was quiet and broken. "The baby didn't make it."

Quiet murmurs of disbelief and sadness passed through the makeshift family; no one sure how to adequately voice their feelings.

Elliot slowly raised his head and looked up at the doctors. "My wife…" his voice trembled. "Is she…"

"She's in recovery," Dr. Jacobs, the attending trauma surgeon, answered Elliot's unasked question. "It was touch and go for awhile; we nearly lost her on the table, twice. But she pulled through. She's a tough cookie."

Elliot slowly exhaled, trying to take in all the news. He wiped the tears off of his cheeks, only to have fresh tears replace them.

"Umm…" Dr. Jacobs started to say more but looked around at the rest of the SVU group.

"It's ok," Elliot whispered. "They're all family."

The doctor nodded before continuing. "The next 2 days are critical. If she pulls through, past the 48 hour mark, her chances will go up significantly."

Knowing how much it meant to Olivia and Elliot, Cragen turned to the OB/GYN. "Dr. McKinley," he sighed before asking the question that he knew Elliot wanted to, but was unable to ask. "Will Olivia be able to have children in the future?"

The doctor sighed softly. "I'm not sure," she answered. "We'll have to wait and see."

Elliot nodded silently as he slowly absorbed what was being said.

"Of course, she shouldn't conceive again immediately. It could be dangerous, even fatal, to both her and the baby." Dr. McKinley continued to explain.

Elliot's face paled even more at the doctor's warning.

"There was massive damage to her uterus but we were able to repair and save it. It's possible that she'll be able to carry a baby in the future, we just don't know for sure. We'll just have to wait and see how things go."

"Whoa... wait a minute... back up," Fin said with a frown. He looked at Dr. Jacobs. "You said the next 2 days are critical."

"Yes," the attending trauma surgeon confirmed.

"Why?" Fin asked, a frown of confusion still marring his face.

"Well..." Dr. Jacobs looked to Dr. McKinley.

"Because of the extent of the damage to her uterus," the OB/GYN began to explain. "There's a chance she could hemmorage," Dr. McKinley sighed. "And hemmoraging could become fatal."

Silence hovered over the people that were gathered around as they struggled to take in everything the doctors were saying. Slowly, they began murmuring among themselves as the news sank in.

Casey, having been the first to recover, spoke softly. "Thank you, doctor."

Both doctors nodded in a saddened acknowledge.

"I'm so sorry, Detective Stabler," Dr. Jacobs held out his hand to Elliot.

"Me too," Dr. McKinley reached out as well.

Elliot slowly reached up and grasped both hands with a grateful squeeze. "Th… Thank you," his voice cracked as he fought to keep from crying. "Thank you for saving my wife."

"I just wish we could have done more," Dr. Jacobs admitted. "I wish we could have saved your little girl."

"I… I…" Elliot closed his eyes tightly for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence. A shaky sigh escaped his lips as he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the doctors. "I know you did your best. Thank you."

Dr. McKinley glanced at her watch and cleared her throat quietly before speaking. "I have to go make my rounds, but I'll be by later to check on Olivia."

Elliot nodded in understanding as the OB/GYN walked away. He looked up at the remaining doctor. "Can I see my wife now?"

"Not until she's out of Recovery, I'm sorry." Dr. Jacobs answered.

Seeing the crushed look on Elliot's face, Cragen spoke up. "Perhaps you could make an exception just this once?"

"I wish I could, Captain."

Seeing the honest regret in the doctor's face and hearing it in his voice, Cragen nodded once. "I understand. You have rules you have to follow."

"I would take you to see her myself, if I could." Dr. Jacobs addressed Elliot directly.

"I know," Elliot responded quietly.

"I'll personally come and get you as soon as she's out of Recovery."

"Doctor…" Elliot's voice trailed off as he looked to the doctor with pleading eyes.

"The second she's out, I promise."

Elliot nodded then dropped his head into his hands again.

An almost deafening silence surrounded the SVU family after Dr. Jacobs retreated from the lobby. A few moments passed before Casey broke the silence. "Elliot…" she spoke softly.

"Humm?" he mumbled into his hands without looking up.

"I'm so sorry…" her voice remained soft. "You know we're here. We'll do anything we can for you and Liv."

"We all will," Lake added from where he stood beside Casey's seat.

Elliot slowly looked up. "Thanks," his voice cracked as he forced the words out. "I just… I just need to see Liv. She's gonna be devastated."

"Just like you are," Munch observed.

"I have to be with her when she finds out about the…" he swallowed hard. "About the baby. I need to be the one who tells her."

"Can you handle that?" Cragen asked kindly as his fatherly instinct kicked in even more.

"I have to," Elliot rubbed his face with both hands before continuing. "I have to be the one to tell her. She'll take it better coming from me instead of some medical personnel she doesn't know. I just really need to be there when she finds out, she needs me."

"I'll go talk to a nurse or someone and make sure no one says anything to Liv about it until you tell her," Fin nodded, turned and walked away in search of someone to talk to about Elliot's request to be with his wife.

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

Close to an hour later, Dr. Jacobs emerged from the inner halls. He crossed the lobby and the entire SVU family looked up as he approached.

Elliot immediately stood, "My wife?"

"Is out of Recovery. They're getting her settled in an ICU room. You can see her in a few minutes," Dr. Jacobs answered.

"How is she?"

"She's still groggy from the anesthesia and she's a little sore right now. She's probably be in a good deal of pain after the anesthesia wears off completely, but we'll do everything we can to keep her comfortable."

"No one's told her about the baby, right?" Elliot asked almost hesitantly.

"Right," Dr. Jacobs responded. "I made sure that every one who came into contact with her knew not to say a word."

Elliot nodded, "I need another favor."

"What can I do to help you?" the doctor asked, honestly wanting to do anything possible.

"I know ICU has set visiting times and they don't last very long."

"Yes."

"The perps that shot my wife are still out there. I'd feel better if I could stay with her indefinitely."

"It would be best for Detective Stabler's safety if her husband was allowed to stay with her at all times," Captain Cragen stood and spoke up in agreement with Elliot.

"I've already taken care of it," the doctor said with a small smile. He looked from Cragen to Elliot. "You've been cleared to stay with her around the clock."

Elliot sighed in relief as he repeated his question from earlier. "Can I see my wife?"

"I'll take you to her right now."

Several of the others stood but were stopped by Dr. Jacobs. "I'm sorry, only her husband for now." Hating to see the disappointed looks on the faces of those who gave their all to protect the public, Dr. Jacobs sighed softly. "I'll make sure you all get a chance to see her as soon as I can, I promise."

They moved as a group and surrounded Elliot with hugs of comfort. Murmurs of support came from all directions. "Give Liv our love." "Tell Liv we're here." "Tell Liv we're thinking of her." "Let Liv know that we'll see her soon."

Elliot nodded then followed Dr. Jacobs, disappearing behind the double doors and down the hall into the inner part of the hospital.

The doctor led him to a room right in front of the ICU desk. "Have them page me if you need anything."

"Yeah," Elliot agreed without taking his eyes off his sleeping wife. He slowly walked into the room and approached Olivia's bed. Once there, he leaned over and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"El?" her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm here, my Love," he whispered as he took her hand in his own.

Olivia blinked several times and fought to keep her eyes open.

"Just rest, darling. I'm right here and I'm not leaving you," he reached back and pulled a chair closer to her bedside.

"El…" her voice was thick and raspy from the anesthesia.

"Right here," he promised quietly as he sank into the chair without letting go of her hand. He watched as her free hand moved down her body.

She frowned as her hand came in contact with her stomach. Her previously swollen belly felt strangely empty. She couldn't distinguish if it was her imagination or not but something definitely felt different. Turning to her husband, the worry written on her face told Elliot that she needed to know the truth. She looked down where her hand lay on her stomach and then back up to Elliot. "The baby…"

Seeing the confusion and fear in her eyes, Elliot sighed and bit his bottom lip.

Her voice shook as she looked to her husband for answers. "Where's our baby? Where's our little girl? I want to see her."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2: Uh oh! The moment of truth. What does Elliot tell her and how does Olivia react? And what about the shooters? Will they be identified? Or will they get away with the perfect crime of revenge? The answers to these questions and more, coming up next… if you're interested!**_

_**Review please?**_


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